Manchu Picchu, the lost city we found facinating

The view from our room
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We left Cusco at 6:15 am, very early which I´m sure you can tell is starting to be the trend for this trip.  There are only 2 ways to get to Manchu Picchu, hike or train.  The hike, though probably all inspiring 4 days, 3 nights through the Andies mostly up and at one point 5 hours straight up to a max. altitude of 13,000 feet, was NOT the method we chose.  We cheated and took the train to Aguas Calientes the down just under Manchu Picchu.

Luckly, our Austrilian friends told us to take the train up the night before and then wake up early(see the trend) to see the sunrise at Manchu Picchu.  The train ride to Aguas Calientes is along the Rio Urubamba through the Andes.  It is a really beautiful 4 hour ride, though I think it would be faster to raft the rapid of the river to Aguas Calientes (even though it is probably not allowed). They are probably class 5 rapids.

I think it is a must see in your lifetime.

The train ride
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Aguas Calientes is a town probably the size of down town state street in Santa Barbara or downtown Saratoga.  It is built on a hill with the river running through it.  It is really cute, but I´m sure that the population is 50% gringos, 50% Peruvians.  The first place we were going to stay looked a little dodgy so we headed further up downt he hill to El Presidente which is a cute, relatively new hotel.  Our room was a suite, the living area looked on to the modern courtyard and the balcony looked out to the raging river and the mountains. All for the whopping price of $50.  There is not a lot to do in Aguas Calientes.  We walked around the town and went up to the hot springs, which were a little disappointing.  They are tiled pools where the naturally occuring hot water is dumped into.  It is some of the diriest water I´ve seen not to mention a little Peruvian kid just whipped it out and started peeing in the pool.  Needless to say the we didn´t go in.  The "springs" aren´t that great. but the walk up there is beautiful.  The mountains come up on either side of you and the river runs right next to you.

Our first view of Manchu Picchu
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That night we went to bed early and woke up at 5:15am to make the second bus to Manchu Picchu.  The bus takes you 15 minutes up the mountains to the entrance to Manchu Picchu.  It was really foggy in the mountains and there is a little mist that goes on and off. After passing the entrance, Frommer´s tells you to turn left to get up the that care takers hut.  Visability was probably 15 yards in front of us and we are hiking up this route known as the "long way".  We get to just about the top and we can go left to more of a hike or right to a barely visable hut.  We start to go left then, knowing it can´t be right turn back and head toward the hut.  The hut is about 2 terraces up and as we  are walking toward it we can´t see anythig in frount of us, it looks like we are walking to the end of a terrace that just drops off.  As soon as we get to the end of what we think is the wrong way, the fog clears and BAM!  There is a city!!!!  Let me tell you it was really cool.  Now I know why they call it the lost city.  We barely found it.  It was great to get there early in the morning, because there were only maybe 20 other people there and you felt like the place was yours.  We spent about 4 hours there walking around the ruins.  There is enough hiking here forget the Inca trail.  What is amazing it that this city was built on this massive mountain among these massive mountains.

Worth it all
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That afternoon we chatted with some of the brave souls who hiked the trail.  Apparently there was a land slide and instead of hiking into Manchu Picchu in the morning the hiked 8 hours to the campsite, then found out about hte slide and had to hike 2 hours into town.  Pitch their tents in a wherehouse of Aguas Caliente and take the bus up.  Pretty dissapointing, but they seemed proud to have completed the hike and I applauded them.

If you ever have the chance to come here I highly recommend it.  I think it is a must see in your lifetime.  And maybe, just maybe in a few years when I´m in better condition I´ll go back for the trek. (Jess? Kate? what do you say?)